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An Orderly Man
by
In 1970 Dirk Bogarde retired from acting and turned towards a quieter, more contemplative, more settled way of life. He both dreaded and yearned for a change from the preceding 20 years of "continual motion."
Bogarde sought "a place of my own" and found it in a dilapidated farmhouse in the south of France.
He writes eloquently of the dual struggle he faced--first dealing w
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Jul 18, 2020
inkedblues
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
film,
how-ghastly-non-heterosexual
I have found my answer to the: "If you could hop on a time machine, where and when would you go?" Well, James Baldwin and Dirk sipped champagne during Bogarde's 50th birthday lunch in France. So there. Oh, Bogarde!
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Nov 11, 2015
Wayne
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone who enjoys a well crafted work by a sensitive man.
Recommended to Wayne by:
Dirk's other books.
I love the way DB has Special Themes he wants to pursue and weaves them in and out and often they will merge as life often does."What's this chapter doing here ?" I'd query, but I'd soon find out. He was very averse to doing a Hollywood Style "My Life"; which is why he often fails to give even the name of the film he is working on, although he took his acting very seriously.
The main themes in this book are:
* his decision to leave England and live in France and the long and interrupted process o ...more
The main themes in this book are:
* his decision to leave England and live in France and the long and interrupted process o ...more
What a delight.
This volume focuses on the latter part of Dirk's film career, working with Visconti, Cavani and Resnais, and his time spent living in Provence. Like the first two volumes of Dirk's memoirs, this is a great read, especially of you're a fan of his film work. On to Volume 4...
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This is the third of Bogarde's autobiographical works. I am reading these in random order as I stumble upon each book in second-hand book stores. Yet there is a continuity in Bogarde's writing that seems to make it easy to piece together. Each work is a standalone wonder of personal stories that are somehow vividly interesting. I "discovered" Bogarde after reading Thomas Mann's Death in Venice and then watching the movie of the book. I also "discovered" Mahler. After watching the movie, I have b
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"An Orderly Man" is the third of Dirk Bogarde's eight volumes of autobiography. I read the first book, "A Postillion Struck By Lightning," recently, and went directly into this one, skipping the second book, something I correctly assumed that I would come to regret, but which couldn't be helped.
The book covers Bogarde's life from 1970 to 1981 and has four main story lines: 1) Bogarde's purchase, renovation, and on-going improvements to a farmhouse in the south of France which proved to be both a ...more
The book covers Bogarde's life from 1970 to 1981 and has four main story lines: 1) Bogarde's purchase, renovation, and on-going improvements to a farmhouse in the south of France which proved to be both a ...more
The third in Dirk Bogarde's series of seven autobiographical works. Most of this one is about his move to France and trials with that. There's the usual account of what films he was doing during the period written about and his thoughts on first becoming a published author. The series is worth a read for anyone who likes autobiography, of which these books are an excellent example. Bogarde did not utilise any ghost writer and he could write very well, as this and other books attest. He also wrot
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Nearing the end of Dirks Autobiographies, he tells of his life in France and how he began his writing career in the pigionnier of his beloved house, high in the hills near Grasse in Provence. Eloquent, evocotive and endearing, another triumph. He makes you feel as though you know him as an old friend, he takes you into his world and makes you feel privileged and pleased that you discovered his wonderful books. He gave me so much pleasure, a wonderful man, he is missed.
I really enjoyed all of Dirk Bogarde's books. I read them a long time ago, so forget the details, but a good idea to start with the first one, "A Postillion Struck by Lightning" This series is autobiographical. I love France and he spent a many years living there. Thoroughly entertaining.
Others in this series are (in order):
2/ Snakes and Ladders
3/ An Orderley Man
4/Backcloth
5/A Short Walk from Harrods
6/Cleared for Take Off ...more
Nov 11, 2015
Nooilforpacifists
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
british-biography,
music-art-entertainment
In this third volume of his autobiography, Dirk becomes the un-Peter Mayle in his new house near Nice, and slowly shifts from actor to author. Not quite as outstanding as volume two, but more touching.
slightly prissy (of course!), it reads a bit patchy, and he has a melodramatic habit of ending sections with something "significant". reads as sincere, and makes one yearn to enjoy the anecdotes over a bottle on his patio in the south of france.
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Oct 09, 2009
Caitlin
added it
An Orderly Man by Dirk Bogarde (1983)
Another enjoyable instalment from Dirk Bogarde.
Looking forward to reading his novels next as they are introduced during this memoir.
Looking forward to reading his novels next as they are introduced during this memoir.
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Dirk Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde was born of mixed Flemish, Dutch and Scottish ancestry, and baptised on 30 October 1921 at St. Mary's Church, Kilburn. His father, Ulric van den Bogaerde (born in Perry Barr, Birmingham; 1892–1972), was the art editor of The Times and his mother, Margaret Niven (1898–1980), was a former actress. He attended University College School, the former Allan
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